Depth control system for torpedoes



y 22, 1952 w. B. ELMER DEPTH CONTROL SYSTEM FOR TORPEDOES Filed Aug. 31,1945 INVENTOR 1mm 12 [/m ATTO R N EY WITNESSES:

- My. -invention; relates ithrough a fluidmedium.

Patented July 22 1952 I DEPTH CONTROLS YSTEM FOR. TORPEDOES' 'William B.Elmer,.Lakewood, Ohiopassignor, by

mesne assignments, to. the iUnited. States. of A merica as representedby the Secretary ofthe v '5 5 Application August 31, 1945; Serial No.'613,7 i6

.TheFGovernment of the United has been ran ed a certainroyaltyefreelicensefongovernmental purposes with respect to the;invention disclosed herein.

v The advent of the electric ,torpedo; necessitated -the provision of,electric control means ,for the rudders and thus also. electriccontrolmeans for controlling the depth of operation of a torpedo. Inv thepriorartdevices, apparatus was devised to give proportional control totheelevating rudders, namely a-control for. operatingthe elevat- 2Claims, (01. 114 2'5) ing rudders by an angle departing .from thelongitudin al axisoi the torpedo proportionaltothe deflection, of ameans responsive both; to depth and to the; an ular, position, of .1the: torpedo axis. with reference to the horizontal. ,r'Iests with ,thistype vof control frequently gavevery unsatisfaetoryresults. The,torpedo, depth;records, secured from suchv tests showed. that ha veryerratic course was frequently taken by the torpedo and occasionally thetorpedo wouldbroach and at other times it would dive.

one object 6r 113; iiiveiititnis the rovision of depth control meansthat will b'ejfsimple, reliable, inexpensive andc'apa'ble of effectivelycontrolling the depth of operation of the torpedo withoutany tendency ofthe torpedo tobroach or dive, Y.

Another objectof. my invention is the provi- .sion of electroma neticoperating, means: for the l va in '.r dders.-which .operaite the;rudders .either toan extremeuprudder position ordown rudder, position,depending upon either the-depth or both.

Another broad object of my invention is the provision of a hard-overdepth control for a torpedo in contradistinction to a proportional depthcontrol of a torpedo.

The foregoing objects are merely illustrative since many other objectsand advantages will become readily apparent from a study of thefollowing specification if made in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view somewhat schematic of thetail-cone of the torpedo schematically illustrating my invention,

Fig. 2 is a view from the front and partly in longitudinal section ofthe pendulum structure for efiecting the control of the rudders,

Fig. 3 is a side view of the subject matter shown in Fig- 2, and

,of operation of the torpedo op the angle-.of. mo- .tion of the torpedowith reifilfence' to the;horizon jecting from the torpedo.

.noid coils cludes a 7 .that are pivotedat I3 on horizontal pivotsmountand have pivot pins I! and which engage the U-shaped structure I9rigidly connected to the base 20 of portion of my device 2 I. .deviceincludes a diaphragm 22 for vertically movingthe U-shaped member I9, andto alter the Fig. 4 is a plan view looking down-on the cover 'plate forthependulumstructureshown' in Figs. 2

Proportional control for controlling the depth of a torpedo isapparently an unnecessary refine- -ment, since much quicker response andbetter control is obtained by throwing the elevator rudders instantly totheir extreme limit of travel either to the up-rudder position or to thedownrudder position, depending upon the type of movement required formaintaining a constant depth of operation of the torpedo.

In Fig. 1, I designates the tail-cone of the torpedo quiteschematically, whereas 2 represents theafterbody of the torpedo usuallyhousing the pendulum structuregenerally designated by 3 for controllingthe depth of operation of the torpedo. In actual practice, there is abulk-head at the region of the solenoids! and 5 to prevent sea'waterfrom entering that portion of the torpedo housing my system of control.

. The mechanical operating means for the elevating rudders 6 aresubstantially conventional, except that these mechanical-means arecoupled to the armatures I and 8 coacting with the sole- 4. and 5.The-pendulum structure inmass I0 secured tothe straps II and I2 ed inthe side plates I4 and the casting I 5 rigidly'secured to I 6 having anupper plate for herrnetical connection to the afterbody of the torpedo.Thestraps II andIZ are relatively wide I8 mounted therein the depthresponsive This depth responsive pressure eiTect of the sea waterentering the region above the diaphragm I provide the spring 23. Thisspring 23 may be adjusted in its tension by suitable movement of theshaft 25 pro- Such movement of the shaft 25 also through the worm 26operates the worm wheel 21 to operate the graduated drum 28 forindicating the selected depth of operation of the torpedo.

From this structure it will be apparent that the swing of the weight II)in its horizontal pivot will be a function not only of the deviation ofthe longitudinal axis of the torpedo with reference to the horizon, butalso a function of the depth of the torpedo below the sea surface.

The pendulum construction just described has been per se used with priorart devices. However, the movement of the pendulum was utilized toactuate rheostats for controlling the energization of the actuatingsolenoids for the rudders proportional to the deflection of thependulum. In contradistinction to this method of operation, I providedefinite stops 30 and 31 for the rearward, movement of the pendulum and30A and 3IA'for: the forward motion of the pendulum, so that thependulum is permitted only a relatively small movement from a verticaland in no case is permitted to swing. free to thus get into oscillationto produce an effect undesired in the control. Substantially in thevertical plane, of the stop 30, I provide switch contacts 32 and 33. Oneof the contacts, as 33-, is resilient so that the stops 30 and 3] willnot interfere with their engagement. In operation: when the tor-- pedois either operating at a depth that is too great or has deviated from ahorizontal direction of travel, the switch contacts 32 or 33,dependingupon-the direction of swing of the pendulum, are brought intoengagement or disengaged whereupon the solenoids for actuating therudders are selectively energized. To energize and is moved ina;horizontaldirection or has deviated in an opposite sense from ahorizontal direction, the circuit at the contacts 32- and' 33 is opened,whereupon the relay R is deenergized anda circuit is established at thebaclrcontacts BC. Closure of; the backcontacts BCenergizes the solenoid5, whereupon the elevating rudders 6 are instantly moved to the extremedownrudder position, to thus produce an. efiect on-the torpedo, in thediving direction.

'Ihe'relay; R: is thus caused .to flutter back and forth between-the.energizedand the deenergized position and .the rudders are moved fromthe extreme up-rudder position and the extreme down-rudder positionrepeatedly. The average path of the torpedo, therefore, is found to bein a very accurate horizontal direction. I While I have shown anddescribed but one embodiment-of my invention, 1 am fullyaware theSOIBDOidSp I utilizea battery B and a relay that others,'particularlyafter having had the benefit of the teachings of my invention, maydevise'other similar schemes of" control forcontrolling the elevatingrudders of a torpedo. I,

therefore, do not wish to be limited to the particular showing hereinmade nor limited to the particular objects specifically stated, but wishto be limited only by the scope of the claims hereto appended.

- electric energy, solenoid means which, when energized; cause movementof the elevating rudders totheirextrem'e up-rudder position,solenoid-means which, when energized, cause movement of'the elevatingrudders to their extreme down-rudder position, two stops, a pendulummounted on'the torpedo for limited movement to either side of a verticalagainst said stops, means for connecting the first solenoid means to thesource of energy upon movement of the pendulum against one stop, andmeans for connecting the other solenoid means to the source of energyuporr movement of the pendulum away from said stop. l

2. In a system of control for controlling the depth. of operation. ofatorpedo, in combination, elevating-rudders for the torpedo. a source ofelectric energy, solenoid means which, when energized, cause movement ofthe elevating rudders to their extreme up-rudder position, solenoidmeans which, when energized, cause movement or the elevating rudders totheir extreme down-rudder position, two stops, a pendulum mounted-on thetorpedo for limited movement to either side of a vertical againstsaidstops, meansfor connectingthe first solenoid means to 'the source ofenergy upon movement of the 'pendulum'against one-stop, means forconnectin'g theotherv solenoid means to the source of energy uponmovement ofthe pendulumaway -from'sai'd stop, and means" responsive todepth for eifecting the pendulum movements.

I B. ELMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the fileofthispatent:

UNITED STATES. PATENTS

